A Warrnambool man who allegedly threatened to set fire to a house while armed with a jerry can and lighter during a 90-minute siege has been remanded in custody.
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Acting Sergeant Uwe Stolzenberg said police came upon the scene around 9am after a neighbour reported shouting at a house on Aitkins Road.
"It was a normal divisional response to a welfare check, but when the unit arrived they found a man who was highly agitated, waving around a jerry can and a lighter," Acting Sergeant Stolzenberg said.
The 42-year-old man had no clear demands other than for police to leave and threatening to burn down the house. Senior paramedics and a Fire Rescue Victoria unit were called to the scene, along with four police units.
Speaking to The Standard in the midst of the siege, police said they weren't sure whether the jerry can contained fuel or not.
The man, who was "known to police", had barricaded himself inside the house.
There had been an incident with his mother on the previous evening and police believed tensions had risen again that morning.
"We couldn't reason with him. We tried to verbally engage," Acting Sergeant Stolzenberg said.
Several different officers tried speaking with the man, but were told to go away one after the other. But at 10.23, after nearly an hour and a half of negotiation, the man surrendered voluntarily.
"He was highly engaged with police," Acting Sergeant Stolzenberg said.
"Eventually he put his shirt on and came out in the resolution manner."
The man was taken by police car to Warrnambool Base Hospital for a mental health assessment.
Police said he had since been remanded in custody charged with false imprisonment, reckless conduct endangering life and other alleged offences.
When police inspected the house they found the jerry can was full of petrol. Acting Sergeant Stolzenberg said the man's health and safety was the priority and he was glad the situation had been resolved safely.
The man will front Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Monday for a bail/remand hearing.
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